HOTELS Magazine Video Series: In Discussion with Stephanie Smith, CEO, Cogwheel Marketing
A hotel’s commercial strategy operates like a soccer team: The sales team offense; the marketing team midfield; the revenue management team defense. While sales focuses on building relationships and revenue management on providing actionable data, marketing makes the team tick—to be in front of the right guest at the right time. It takes collaboration to […]
GEO vs SEO for Hotels: 10 Comparisons
Key Takeaway: Your GEO should build on top of your SEO strategy. Let’s break down what changes and what stays the same. This blog was written as of Jul 16, 2025, and we will try to keep it updated as we learn more. 1 Unique Selling Points and Differentiators This still matters. Clearly define your […]
Innovating Hospitality: Recap of the E20X 2025 Finalists
Since Cogwheel first participated in the pitch at E20X in 2022, the Cogwheel team has made it a tradition to follow the promising startups showcased each year. E20X (Entrepreneur 20X), hosted during HITEC, is known for spotlighting the most innovative solutions in hospitality tech, and 2025’s competition didn’t disappoint. Here’s a look at the full […]
Crafting a Hotel Marketing Budget: Goldilocks and the 3 Bears
At the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference on June 17, Stephanie Smith of Cogwheel tried to change mindsets about how backwards most hotel marketing budgets are created. There are 3 ways to create a hotel marketing budget: 1 – Too Little – Take last year’s budget and add 10% 2 – Too Much – Take your […]
Case Study: Cogwheel Analytics gives hotels a competitive edge with AI
Cogwheel Analytics partnered with Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Labs to create an AI-powered Analysis and Recommendation Engine aimed at providing hotel clients actionable insights they can use to drive growth and build their competitive advantage in digital marketing. “The hands-on approach from the Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab was instrumental in helping us rapidly prototype a solution that would […]
The Invisible Guest: How Dark Social Impacts Hotel Marketing
If you’re tracking your hotel’s marketing performance the traditional way — through UTMs, analytics, and CRM data — you’re only seeing part of the picture. There’s a whole world of referral traffic happening behind the scenes, and it’s called dark social. For the hospitality industry, where word-of-mouth and personal recommendations are already king, dark social […]
Maximizing Your Spa’s Online Presence: A Comprehensive Guide
Establishing a strong online presence is crucial for the success of any spa. Stephanie Smith, CEO of Cogwheel Marketing & Analytics, during the 2025 iSPA Conference offered valuable insights and actionable strategies for spa directors and operators looking to maximize their online visibility and attract more clients. Balancing Operations and Marketing Many spa professionals struggle […]
How to Run a Facebook Ad
Updated on March 14, 2025 8 Simple Steps on How to Run a Facebook Ad Facebook has seriously awesome targeting parameters to get your business in front of potential customers that align with a business’ target market and need periods. These instructions will walk you through step-by-step on how to create and launch a Facebook […]
Maximizing Your Hotel’s Digital Launch: A Comprehensive Guide
Building your hotel’s digital presence requires meticulous planning and execution across various channels to ensure maximum visibility and seamless operations. From GPS submissions to paid marketing and content optimization, here’s how to effectively position your property for success. GPS: Getting Your Hotel Found Ensuring your hotel can be easily located is a foundational step in […]
How Hotel Digital Marketing Can Bridge Gaps in Hotel Commercial Strategy
There continue to be silos in commercial strategy. Let’s dig deeper into how digital marketing needs to function to guarantee a seat at the table. Marketers need to first understand that all their acronyms mean nothing if the hotel isn’t getting its fair share and not taking market share from the competition. Our world is […]
